For the Joy Seekers. And, the Universe.

It started around 3am. Maybe 3:10am. Somewhere around there – the words ‘Positive Pages‘ catapulted through my mind. Families were mourning the loss of loved ones, businesses were closing their cash registers, streets were laden with, well, nobody really – except Hopelessness. The world shut its doors from everything and everyone, and my eyes were wide open, staring at a 3am ceiling - with the words ‘Positive Pages’ bouncing between my ears.

Some might call it a sign from the gods, others may deem it utter madness – ‘insomnia’ - during an unprecedented time that called for fear and panic and anything but, “positivity”.

Where would it come from? This deep optimism in the time of Corona; where would the people find their will to smile, to rejoice, to share stories of joy when their sanitised hearts were breaking to the beats of a curve that no one could see and rising statistics that everyone could feel. It felt an impossible journey, and a feeble one too.

But the tapping wouldn’t stop, and the ceiling wouldn’t crumble. And so, against the very nature of social expectation in a time of the modern world’s most devastating virus – this book was born.

Over 170 little stories of joy, written by strangers and friends and communities and teachers and sinners and mothers and fathers and daughters that miss their grannies every day, and wanderers - oh the wanderers and their seeking hearts – and 16-year olds dreaming of the ocean waves behind their locked door. Stories of family, and gratitude and seeking, and tea.

Watch out for the Wind and the Light and the elephants and many many miracles here; and unexpected celebrities that turn up at your fingers, and a yellow door - and a loaf of bread shared on a corner. In this book you will not find a beginning nor an end; what exists here is a raw, honest start from who we are and from where we are. Here you will find the pen, the paper, the soul reaching out to touch a hand, to wipe a tear to laugh out loudly at the silly significant memories we make; and to let us know through every broken wing - there is still the will to fly. And all will be better, in the morning.

In this little snippet of positivity, we’re invited to witness the movements and meanderings o Carlisle Montgomery as he works on a white canvas while in rehab, inspiring an unknown witness to seek their own inner strength as they walk the road to recovery.

Read by Tsholo Phiri - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsholo-phiri-a24188100/

What does it mean to survive a coming undone, a breaking apart, a broken heart? In this excerpt from Positive Pages, we bear witness to the process of healing and growth; a beautiful unveiling that reminds us what it means to embrace the process of change, even when it hurts.

Read by Robyn Porteous - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-porteous/

‘Astros’ is the touching exchange between mother and child as they drive together – the one hoping (always) to impart wisdom, while carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and the other eager only to get their hands on a box of chocolatey sweet treats.

Read by Tsholo Phiri - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsholo-phiri-a24188100/

Where curiosity leads, joy often follows! In this story from Positive Pages, our curiosity inspires us to peak behind the Yellow Door, revealing a wonderland of all that is cosy, and comfy, and colourful, and reminding us how rewarding and inspiring it can be to let your imagination run wild.

Read by Robyn Porteous - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-porteous/

It’s one thing to share space with a celebrity. It’s quite another to yell a profanity loudly in their presence! At an all-important book launch, our protagonist learns that celebrities are human too when her finger wound is met with compassion and a kiss to make it all better.

Read by Natasha Fracchiolla - https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-fracchiolla-a51b1948/

Water is the most essential part of nature. Of life. Of being. In this extract from Positive Pages, we’re reminded of the vital role water plays in every part of our lives, from the drinking of tablets when sick to the watering of vegetables when hungry.

Read by Tsholo Phiri - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsholo-phiri-a24188100/

Maya is the leader of a Kind Club – and everyone’s invited! Intended to be a fun club for children who are kind and want to be kind to others, we realise the importance of kindness as a weapon of mass compassion, at a time when the world is rife with pain, losses, and failure. It’s a lesson we could all learn, teachers, parents, and world leaders alike!

Read by Robyn Porteous - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-porteous/

In Cantanese, ‘Mhgoi’ means both ‘excuse me’ and ‘thank you’ – and it’s the perfect word for a Hong Kong rainy day when a chance encounter with an old man in a dry mac and a tiny bit of tissue stuck to a forehead makes a world of difference in the midst of wild, tropical jungle rain.

Read by Robyn Porteous - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-porteous/